I was rather perturbed by Assistant Minister for Sport Kabando wa Kabando’s ministerial statement in Parliament last week.

The assistant minister, who often comes out as level-headed and knowledgeable on matters sport, got it wrong this time.

Responding to a question in which a member sought to know why cricket was declining, he stated, inter alia, that the Government had now taken charge of the game because it had invested heavily in cricket. He said the Nairobi Gymkhana ground was an example of that investment.

He also appeared to send the message that indigenous folks should hold leadership posts in the administration of cricket because they have dominated the game.

Back to investment, the source of that information the honourable assistant minister gave the August House does not know what he is talking about or he is deliberately distorting facts.

Playing the race card in cricket is naïve to the extreme. For we all know the driving force of that sport. We all know whose companies were employing those indigenous Kenyan players who raised the profile of the game locally the and whose network they used to ascend to the global elite circuit.

It was a minority group, yes, of Kenyans of Asian extract and a few Kenyans of European origin who made it possible for our indigenous brothers to play cricket.

When Kenya was getting first class matches and playing against  Test nations, which helped a great deal in raising their performance, it was this global network at play.

Lest we forget, it was Kenyans of Asian extract and their friends and cousins in India and South Africa who mobilised global support that gave Kenya the much-needed push.

That is not to say local Kenyans did not play a part. Their passion for the sport made them the best cricket nation outside Test circuit.

But the roles played by Bashir Mauladad, the late Premjibhai Khoda, Naushad Merali, , the late Robbie Armstrong, Sharad Ghai, Jimmy Rayani, the influential Wanderers group, and the financially-endowed Ismailia and Sunni Muslims of Aga Khan, Jaffreys and Sir Ali communities must not be forgoten in lifting Kenyan cricket.

When Kenya bid to host 1994 ICC Trophy, I vividly remember the late Armstrong presenting the bid documents to then British Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Major, which gave the bid the much-needed boost.

Issues of infrastructure, sponsorship, logistics emerged. Who provided that? Companies associated with the so-called minority group. That is how Nairobi Gymkhana attained its current world-class status. Further improvement were made when Kenya, again thanks to this passionate minority, successfully bid to stage the Mini-World Cup in 2000 in which all the Test nations took part.

If Kenyan cricket was on the way up, this particular tournament, the ICC Trophy, in which Kenya lost to UAE in the final, opened a completely new chapter. For it was that final which earned them a slot in the 1996 World Cup  where they stunned West Indies. The rest is history.

Cricket has declined. We know why. We know the solution, which we don’t want to confront. Instead we want to play politics and race card because a few of our Kenyan brothers want to ascend to leadership. That is cheap and stinking.

All cricket grounds are privately-owned. If the Government is that serious with the sport, it should build a cricket ground and even golf course at Kasarani.

And if our brothers are aspiring for elective positions, nobody stops them. They are the same ones who will gladly vote in those so-called minority Asians at the expense of their own kin.

Wasn’t Tom Tikolo the Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Kenya only recently? Isn’t John Moyi the secretary of Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association now? While we need a mixture of people from all walks of life in leadership, it is not for the sake of parading them like a beauty contest. But it is for one’s ability to deliver and passion to work for the sport.

— The writer is The Standard Sports Editor

iomulo@standardmedia.co.ke